Mind your Brain Series: The Broken Brain

With the aim of equipping the students and the public with knowledge on depression among the elderly population and the treatment options available for them, a webinar titled The Broken Brain: Stress/Anxiety Awareness was organised by UTAR Centre for Corporate & Community Development in collaboration with Malaysia Mental Literacy Movement and Centre for Research on Non-Communicable Diseases under UTAR Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) on 30 August 2022 via Zoom and Facebook Live. Held as part of the “Mind You Brain Series”, the webinar also aimed to teach the attendees how to be more supportive of people with the illness.

The webinar was delivered by FMHS Department of Population Medicine Clinical Assoc Prof Dr Thong Kai Shin. Dr Thong is a consultant psychiatrist who is committed to providing the best possible care to those with emotional needs and mental health issues.

Dr Thong Kai Shin

During the webinar, Dr Thong explained the differences between sadness and depression. According to Dr Thong, sadness is the feeling of sorrow or unhappiness. “It is normal for feelings of sadness to develop in response to unfavourable situations. Sadness does not last very long and we could eventually get over it. However, depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and it is a short-lived emotional response to challenges in everyday life. Depression lasts longer than sadness. It affects someone’s mood, causing them to feel drained and causing them to feel down for weeks or months. Depression is something that can happen to anyone. It is an illness and not a character weakness,” she explained.

“Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression. The American Psychiatric Association estimates up to five per cent of people aged 65 and older suffer from depression. Researchers believe that the percentage is higher because many of them who have depression may be often missed or missed diagnosed,” said Dr Thong. She then talked about the symptoms of depression; the screening tool for depression such as the geriatric depression scale (two-item scale); the types of depressive disorders and the causes of depression.

The symptoms of depression

She said, “Depression results from a complex interaction of biological, social and psychological factors. Having family members who have depression may increase a person’s risk by two to three times compared to an average person. Deficiencies of certain chemicals (monoamines) in the brain may lead to depression. People who have gone through adverse life events such as unemployment, bereavement and psychological trauma are more likely to develop depression.” Meanwhile, she also shared the risk factors for depression among the elderly, suicide, the risk factors of suicide and the treatment of depression.

Speaking of what one can do if they are depressed, she said, “Talk to someone you trust about your feelings. Seek professional help for a complete assessment and treatment if your depression is severe. Keep up with activities that you used to enjoy when you were well. Exercise regularly, and stick to regular eating and sleeping habits. Stay connected, and keep in contact with family or friends. Accept that you might have depression and adjust your expectations.”

She advised, “Dealing with someone with depression can be difficult. Do not try to ‘cheer up’ a depressed person as he/she may feel minimised. Ask if there is anything you can help although the answer may often be ‘no’; the support, however, will be felt. Remember, when you deal with a person with depression, you can help them recover but you need to take care of yourself too.”

To watch the full webinar, kindly click here.